What hope is worth
by nim draug
Summary: Legolas sells his soul to Sauron. How would this affect the quest?
1. Chapter 1

Blood trickled down the man's face. His limp form lay on the ground, unmoving... unprotected.

The morgul blade was pointed at his heart. If the creature pushed it any further, Aragorn, the next King of Gondor, would become one of them.

Legolas could only stare in pure horror at the sight, going cold when the Witch King made things worse by staring into his petrified eyes, "You know the deal. Say the words, and I will leave you both alone."

He twisted the blade, mocking the elf, knowing the weakling would give in.

Tears threatened to pour from those beautiful eyes, _I cannot rid the world of hope... of Estel, _"I Legolas Greenleaf, sell my soul to Sauron."


	2. Chapter 2

"He just left us and went away?"

"Yes, I don't understand it either," Legolas hated to lie to his friend, but having Aragorn feel unbelievably guilty because his brother had sold his soul to save him would be much worse.

It was very hard to convince Aragorn, but the herbal tea Legolas had given him for his wounds soon made him too tired to press for more information – much to Legolas' relief.

Taking his bow and knives, the woodland Prince went to collect more firewood, knowing that the horses would alert him if anything came near them or Aragorn.

"_Leave us alone – we don't have the precious – we promise. You must believe us!" _

The screaming words echoed in his mind, confusing the elf. But he shook it off and carried on gathering wood.

"_Stop please, you must believe us!" the creature screamed as the whip lashed against his pale skin._

Legolas froze, his eyes seeing the torturing happening to a creature so far away.

"_Nooooo! Please don't hurt us!" but the whipping proceeded. The orcs in the background filled a huge bath with boiling hot water._

_They threw the creature in it, "Aaaaaaagh, precious! It burns us!"_

The wood fell from his lifeless hands.

_They held its head under and whipped his burning skin when they let him up for air. _

Disgusted eyes went wide.

"_Don't hurt us aaaahhh!" They dunked him under again, pouring acid into the burning mixture. Gurgling screams could be heard beneath the water._

The elf's breaths came in short gasps.

"_Stop! Aaaaagh!"_

Tears left the watching eyes as the creature broke...

"_Shire, aaaaaaah! Baggins!"_

The vision ended. Legolas ran back to the camp and packed everything. The moon hid behind the clouds, denying them of her light, but he sat himself and a sleeping Aragorn onto a horse and ran to Imladris – his other horse running just behind them.

Lord Elrond stood on the balcony gazing into the distance. The river's water gently lapped against the shining pebbles and tickled the roots that lazily hung over the river's edge. The sun shined brightly upon his land and yet the elf was troubled: his youngest son was missing, as was Legolas who Elrond saw as another son.

They were supposed to be back four days ago and yet, as usual, they were late _and one of them will be injured – as always._

His prediction was correct – The Lord called for his daughter and sons when he saw the Prince racing into the courtyard carrying his sleeping son.


	3. Chapter 3

"Lord Elrond, you must believe me!" Legolas seemed very distressed, "Bilbo Baggins is in trouble! We must send a patrol out to collect him from the Shire and bring him here where it's safe," the panicked voice was quaking, like it was going to break at any second. His blue eyes glittered with unshed tears and he was squeezing Elrond's shoulders very tightly.

"Legolas," Elrond took the vice like hands from his shoulders and cradled them gently as he spoke, "Bilbo is absolutely fine. He left the Shire weeks ago and doesn't plan on returning. He's within our care and protection. I don't where you've got this idea from but no harm can come to him anymore."

Young eyes gazed into another world, looking for a reasonable explanation, but he found none, "My Lord? May I do some research in your library?"

"You've been riding hard for three days, are you not tired?"

"No – I won't find sleep even if I tried."

"Ok penneth, just make sure you get some rest soon though alright?" the Prince nodded and headed for the library.

A cold, damp cloth was pressed against his head whilst a soft hand caressed his face, "Arwen..." the ranger whispered. A kiss was placed on his forehead and then on his lips, "How are you feeling my love?"

"Sleepy, those herbs Legolas gave me at camp were strong – how am I home? That ride would have taken five days, maybe more!"

"Three days if you ride without stopping."

"Legolas did that? I guess he's sleeping now then, right?"

Elrond walked in, "Actually, he's in the library. He said he isn't tired."

He found the page he was looking for:

'_Visions don't show what will definitely happen, they usually only show what the outcome could possibly be. However, there is no way of telling if the vision is of the past, present or future. If a vision ever occurs, the first thing you should find out is when this is going to or has already taken place. _

_If it has already occurred, there is nothing you can do.'_

Legolas remembered the creature Gollum, his father had promised Gandalf to keep him prisoner for him. So the vision must have been of the future – musn't it?

He had to be sure of his theory, which meant going to Mirkwood... immediately.

"He isn't tired you say" Aragorn retorted, "I don't believe him, sometimes he is just too proud to admit things. It will be his downfall one day."

"Actually, he seemed distressed, concerned for Bilbo. But when I told him he was fine, he went to read. Maybe he's just calming down," the elven Lord guessed, though deep down he was concerned for the young Prince.

The Prince still hadn't been to see his best friend towards the end of the night, which wasn't normal, but Aragorn and the rest of his family still had a good day, making jokes and recalling past times.

The twins started wrestling on the floor which made everybody laugh. They continued to roll on the floor when a maid came in, "My Lord, Prince Legolas said he was simply taking his horse for a ride as he paid the horse-master but a note was found in the bag of gold saying that he needed to go back to Mirkwood and that he'd be back as soon as possible."

The room was silent as Elrond contemplated the situation, "When did you say he left?"

"This morning sir."

"And you've only found the note just now?"

"Yes sir, my husband's only just finished his shift – he said that at the speed Legolas was riding at, you won't reach him when he's got ahead start."

The healer sighed. There was nothing he could do to stop him now. All he could do was write to Thranduil to make sure he arrived safely.

The King of Mirkwood frowned at the letter. Elrond was correct about Legolas not acting himself and this behaviour was putting him in danger.

He quickly wrote a letter of thanks and attached it to the eagle. The soaring bird had taken two days to reach him – meaning Legolas should have been home in two weeks time.

Surprisingly, he was home in just over a week. His horse was walking very slowly now, exhausted and its rider was barely awake either.

Thranduil rode out to meet his son, ridding the tired animal of its burden and carrying his half asleep son home.

"Adar..." his dry voice whispered, "Gollum...where's Gollum."

"There was an ambush Legolas, Gollum was taken by the enemy."

"No," the Prince tried to jump out of his father's arms, "Need to... Shire" exhausted eyes started to flutter shut, "Shire... Baggins."


	4. Chapter 4

_Fear engulfed his body and mind, leaving him frozen on the hard ground as the black riders walked towards him. _

_He felt... smaller somehow, and it was so cold. He had hairy feet! What was happening?_

_They were getting closer – he couldn't move – couldn't escape. _

_His hand seemed to move without him telling it to – it pulled out a ring from his pocket. _

_The one ring! How did he get hold of that?_

_But there wasn't time to think of that, if he couldn't run, he'd have to disappear..._

_The black cloaks were gone, revealing the mangled faces of those beneath. And there eyes, they looked through you, not at you. _

_He was utterly terrified._

_The golden ring seemed to have its own force, pulling his hand towards the claws of the witch king – but he managed to fight it and pulled back._

_The black eyes glared at him as the creature buried it's blade in his skin mercilessly..._

Thranduil shuddered at the sudden blood curdling scream, "Ion nin?"

He ran to his son's room to find a very pale Legolas sat up in his bed wearing a face of pure horror. He didn't seem to notice his father's presence, which was alarming so he had to move very slowly, "Ion nin? Can you hear me?"

The shaken Prince slowly turned his head, before turning back and undoing his tunic. Confusion seemed to drown his mind, making a weary head fall into trembling hands, "I don't understand?"

Thranduil wrapped his arms around his child, "What don't you understand?"

"There's no mark – nothing at all."

"I think you've had a nightmare little one"

"No" he shuddered, "It felt too real."

The father turned his son to face him, stroking his cheek, "Tell me."

...

_Dear King Thranduil,_

_I have grave news my friend: the past has revealed itself at the worst time. The one ring has returned. The one that started the war that killed your father so many years ago. We cannot let this happen again – we need to stop, no, destroy the problem before it starts. I'm gathering representatives from each race to come to a council to decide the fate of the ring. _

_The ring came to Rivendell after Estel rescued its carrier – a hobbit named Frodo Baggins. Three other hobbits came too, so I have plenty of hobbit representatives._

_I know you'll choose wisely my friend._

_Stay safe_

_Lord Elrond_

Surprising, shocking and scary – so much coming out of nowhere, and so much unexplained. He had to talk to Legolas, he needed to talk to Legolas.

...

Thranduil was sat in his armchair and Legolas sat on the floor, resting his head on his father's leg for comfort as the King opened up about the great war three thousand years ago – of the chaos the one ring caused and how much worse he feared it would get this time, "Everything was starting to get better – the elves were going to sail and live happily for eternity, but that's all going to be ruined because a Frodo Baggins has popped up out of nowhere with the ring."

"Who father?"

"Pardon?"

"Frodo who?"

"Baggins."

Baggins... His visions were true... Shire...Baggins.


	5. Chapter 5

_Father,_ _Aragorn has decided to join the Fellowship and so I am following him on this dark quest. I need to protect my brother and I want nothing more than to rid the world of the evil that threatens to make time repeat itself._ _I wasn't expecting to actually join the fellowship – I don't know what I was planning to do but something inside me just won't stop burning... I'm explaining this all wrong. I think I have been given a chance to stop many things from happening – I can't cast such an opportunity aside._ _I love you with all my heart and I hope I'll make you proud._ _Your loving son,_ _Legolas_

The King's eyes welled up with tears of frustration. He wanted to go too. If he knew his son was going to become one of the fellowship he would have offered his services too. His son was only get further and further away... Oh, how he wanted to hold his child in his arms again and never let go. If they both knew what was down destiny's path, he could have at least said goodbye properly.

...

Legolas smiled at the little family that had been created: Merry and Pippin had snuggled up to Boromir – the three of them sharing each other's blankets and Boromir's fur cloak. Frodo and Sam were warming each other's hands over the small fire and Aragorn, Gandalf and Gimli were all puffing their pipes out of the small mouth of the cave. In the previous months he had only had one other vision which was of Gandalf's fight with Saruman. When he had arrived in Rivendell to get help for him, the wizard had already escaped and returned. It took a while but Gandalf managed to convince him that he was fine, that the vision was more violent than reality and that it was best if they kept what happened between the two of them. Legolas had agreed to his wishes on the condition that he could tend to his wounds. After that, it was never spoke of again.

And for a while, the visions stopped too, but the climb up Cadaras was made all the more painful by the random flashing images flitting across his mind uncontrollably. He couldn't put them in any kind of order, all he knew was that it would happen in a place where the light had been squeezed out of.

It was in this cave that the images started to come again out of sync with the echoing voices that intercepted all of his thoughts:

"Aragorn... Aragorn!"

"Strider!"

"Let them come..."

"Mr Frodo!"

"We must move on."

"There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"

"Goblins!"

"They have barred the gates..."

"We cannot linger."

"We cannot get out."

"They have a cave troll."

"They are coming..."

What did all of this mean? Which parts were true? In what order do these events occur? How was he supposed to stop these visions from coming true if random parts of the future were thrown at him in any old order?

For now, there was nothing he could do, so he just left the cave and let the biting wind numb his anger away.

...

"Let the ring bearer decide."

Those words had given Frodo the final word on the matter so no matter how much Legolas pleaded, the others couldn't be swayed... except for Boromir which caused a huge problem.

Aragorn had confided in Legolas, trusting him to understand why he didn't want the ring near any city of men and expecting to stand up for his opinion... so when Legolas encouraged Boromir to fight for the alternative route – Aragorn was far from pleased.

Gimli was fuming with the elf too: all of those things Legolas had said about wanting to learn more about the dwarvern race now just seemed to be an empty lie that he had foolishly believed.

In trying to protect his friends, he had been separated from the group. All he had achieved was making the fellowship more determined to enter the dark mines of Moria.

...

_Dear Ada,_

_The quest has barely begun and I have failed. I have failed the fellowship and Gandalf. The confusing jigsaw was put together before me and was suddenly so clear. I couldn't get the others to walk a different route to Mordor. It was such a simple task – I didn't have to fight anybody or learn how to fly and yet I still couldn't do it._

_What burned my heart most was seeing Gandalf fall. That was the evil surprise that wasn't shown to me previously. The light that was our hope has been extinguished and if I had stopped my vision from coming true in the first place, Gandalf would still be alive._

_I know Gandalf was a dear friend to you – I'm sorry such a friendship was ended by a fool._

_I've also lost Gimli and Estel. But I deserve their hatred. I just hope they don't waste their time in Lothlorien despising me when they should be resting – healing. _

_The fellowship need to gather strength from a nonexistent source. Though they may not see it, my heart goes out to them. _

_Pray for them – I beg you_

_I love you._

Estel stared blankly at the letter. Thranduil had received the letter and replied to it but he had also sent Aragorn a note along with Legolas' cry of despair.

He flipped the parchment over and kept reading:

_Estel,_

_Legolas only joined the fellowship to protect you. You mean more to him than the very air he breathes. He only wanted to protect you and in doing so he has lost so much and is drowning in guilt. I'm not there to protect him so I'm trusting you to play that role in my stead. _

_You are hope Estel – you have the power to give his strength and take it._

_Choose wisely_

_Thranduil._

_..._


	6. Chapter 6

"For me the grief is still too near."

The hobbits absorbed the words and restrained themselves from pushing the elf into translating the words that rang in the air. Sam made an admirable attempt at saying a few words for Gandalf. He was very poetic, though he didn't seem too impressed with his efforts.

At least he was offering something, Gimli thought Legolas' lack of co-operation in their time of need was selfish of him as was his inconsiderate comment in the mines, "We should leave now."

Could the elf not see that he was grieving, that he was mourning for someone he was never going to see again – never even see the body of now that the mines where overrun with Goblins.

It was overly aggravating, "So much for the courtesy of the elves, singing in a language we don't understand about our friend. They are mocking us I swear!"

"Gimli, laments are always sung in elvish. It is tradition. As long as Gandalf can understand their words all of the hearts in the Golden Wood can be at peace. Please don't insult our ways."

"But we can't understand them, and we were closer to him than any of these elves were so I think we shouldn't be denied the right to pay our respects with them."

"My friend, Gandalf met these people thousands of years before you were born and in grieving and letting them grieve in their own ways, you are paying your respects to our old friend and showing him you care."

A grunt was the dwarf's only reply and the tension in the group was only thickening and so the elf decided to leave: he wanted the hobbits to relax and apparently that wasn't going to happen if he remained in the group.

...

All of the anger in Aragorn dissolved after reading the letter. Guilt filled its place along with fear: Legolas was seen as the eyes and ears of the Fellowship, the man on the front line and yet he was a child. He was somebody's child, someone's baby and the Elven Prince's innocence suddenly seemed so obvious.

He couldn't begin to imagine how confused his friend was: visions weren't common in Wood Elves so it wasn't something Legolas would have seen the effects of.

But Aragorn had lived in Rivendell, were visions are a much more common problem or sometimes an advantage. He needed to talk to Legolas. He needed to help him...

Estel arrived at camp to find his friend was missing. According to Gimli he was, "abandoning us for his **own kind**," a phrase that highlighted the fact that neither Gimli or the others knew of Legolas' situation, something he would have to sort out first...

...

"You shouldn't walk off on your own, mellon nin," it was Haldir, a friend that Legolas was more than happy to see.

The overly tight embrace received from his younger friend was concerning but Haldir just held him tighter – he had missed him so much.

On touching his friend, Legolas started to hear things:

"How is this possible?"  
"Legolas, two already!"

"Pull them back!"

"Haldir!"

The Prince shivered in Haldir's arms and started to lean on him a lot more, "Mellon nin, are you ok?"

He could see elves firing from a high wall, the oncoming sea of... where they Orcs? No, they were much too big. These creatures were huge and they were coming in huge waves.

"Ladders!"

"Years ago we fought and died together."

"Fall back to the Keep!"

"Is this all you can conjure Saruman?"

The beasts jumped over the wall, dozens of elves were cut down in seconds.

He couldn't breathe, clinging to Haldir was all he could do. The older elf tried not to panic, but the violent shaking was almost mistaken for fitting. Seeing Legolas' horrified eyes stare at nothing was the only sign things were otherwise, "Legolas, talk to me mellon nin."

"Legolas! Kill him! Kill him!"

"Haldir!"

"Aragorn!"

There was an explosion. Aragorn fell and lay lifeless among the dead in front of the oncoming rush of creatures.

"Legolas say something!"

Gimli jumped off the wall and disappeared into the deadly ocean.

"Mellon nin breathe!"

Haldir fell to his knees, his eyes glazed. Lifeless

"No – Haldir"

"I'm here mellon nin."

"Stay with me."

"I'm not going anywhere."

The vision stopped. He could breathe again, see into his friend's living, concerned eyes, "H-H-Hal...what – um. I erm."

He was alive, "I'm here. Hold onto me, I'm here."

He was alive – but for how long, "No, Hal... plea – you can't"

"Can't what? What's wrong?"

And that's when his eyes rolled back into his head.


End file.
